Monday, January 15, 2018

You Can See The Sound of Music Saturday on the Big Screen

Those Alps are going to look even more amazing on screen at Powell Hall.

You may love raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, glorious Alpine vistas and the smoldering passion of Christopher Plummer as Captain von Trapp — but how can you tell how much you really love them until you see them on the big screen? You can find out this Saturday.

That's because, for one night only, The Sound of Music is playing in one of the most glorious theaters of all — Powell Hall, the longtime home of the St. Louis Symphony (718 N. Grand Boulevard). It's not only a rare opportunity to see "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" on the big screen without any of that sing-along stuff; it's also a chance to see the splendors of Powell Hall for just $5 a ticket.

Originally built as the St. Louis Theatre in 1925, the building played movies for decades. The last one proved to be, yes, The Sound of Music. Then the glorious old movie palace was sold — and reopened two years later as the home of the symphony.

Incidentally, The Sound of Music's initial theatrical run was such a smash-hit, it played across the country for four and a half years. People saw it again and again and again; as the New York Timesnoted in a fascinating 1966 column, the theatre hosting its initial run in Salt Lake City sold more than 509,000 tickets, even though the city's population was then just 190,000 souls. What choice did fans have? It's not like they could just hit "rewind" on their VHS player.

So, if you're free Saturday, January 20, maybe come see what all the fuss is about. Or at least come get a good look at Captain von Trapp.